Switch-operating mechanism.



G. E. FRYBURG. I swmm OPERATING MECHANISM.

- APPLICATION FILED MAX 3, 1909. 935,843.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

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G.E.FRYBURG.

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1909.

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CHARLES EDWARD FRYBURG, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Application filed May 3, 1909. Serial No. 493,554.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FRYBURG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSwitch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved switch operating mechanism, theobject of the in vention being to provide improved means for throwingthe switch point through the medium of mechanism on a car, before thecar reaches the switch, so as to enable the car to proceed along thetrack desired, without the necessity of the motorman leaving his car.

A further object is to provide improved mechanism on a car which isnormally elevated, but which can be quickly depressed to operativeposition, so as to engage switch throwing means below the surface of theground.

A further object is to provide an improved cam wheel, which is alwaysturned in the same direction, and given but a partial rotary movement ateach operation, but which will upon one operation, throw the switchpoint in one direction, and upon another op eration, throw the switchpoint in an opposite direction, so that if the switch point is in aposition to carry an approaching car on the track not desired, it issimply necessary for the motorman to depress his operating means on thecar and throw the switch point, so that the car will travel upon thedesired track. If the switch point is properly placed, the car canproceed without moving the point at all.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, and combinations and ar rangements ofparts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a perspective view partlybroken away illustrating 'my improvements. Fig. 2, is a plan view of thetrack. Fig. 3, is a detail view in elevation illustrating the switchoperating device on a car and its cooperation with the switch throwingcrank below the 7, track. Fig. 4, is a view in cross section at point 3.

the switch point, and Fig. 5, is a view in elevation at right angles toFig, 4.

1, 1, represent the rails of an ordinary trolley track secured upon ties2, and 3, is a switch point located at the intersection of a branchtrack and the main track, such as is in ordinary use.

4 represents a casting fixed to the outside of rail 1, and providing arotary support for my improved cam wheel 6, which latter is providedwith a cam groove 7, said groove so shaped as to provide a number of camfaces of the same length, to transmit a reciprocating movement to a rod8, having a roller 9 on one end mounted in the cam groove 7, and saidrod is supported to slide in openings in the rail, and is provided withan upwardly projecting pin 10 located in a recess 11 in the under faceof the switch This cam wheel 6 is provided around its periphery withratchet teeth 12, with which a spring pressed dog 13 engages, so as topermit the cam wheel to turn in but one direction. The end face of thecam wheel is so shaped as to provide four ratchet teeth 14 to be engagedby a dog 15, pivotally supported upon a bolt 16, extending through thecam wheel 6 and casting 4, and elastically held against the face of saidcam wheel by means of a spring 17 located outside the casting. This dog15 is connected by a rod 18 with a crank shaft tripping member 19,supported in a bracket 20 secured to the rail 1.

A coiled spring 21 connects a fixed pin 21 on the rail with the dog 15,so as to return the dog to normal position after operation, and hold theupwardly projecting arm 22 of the crank shaft 19 in position to beoperated, and stops 23 limit the turning movement of the crank shaft.The arm 22 projects up into a recess 24 in rail 1, registering with aslot 25 in the grooved portion of the rail, so that a plunger 26 on thecar may be projected through said slot and engage the arm 22. Thisplunger 26 as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, is mounted to movevertically in a bracket 27 secured to the car truck 28, and is normallyheld in an elevated position by a coiled spring 29.

Rollersor pulleys 30 are supported upon bracket 27, and cords or otherflexible connecting devices are secured at their ends to the upper endof plunger 26, then passed around pulleys 30, then secured together asshown at 31, and a single cord 52 extends from this point to aconvenient place on the platform 33, where a handle 34 is provided, sothat the motorman by raising the handle 34 will depress the plunger 26into a position to engage the trip arm 22, and throw the switch point.

The operation is as follows: \Vhen the car is approaching a switch andthe switch point is not as desired, the motorman depresses plunger 26 asabove explained, and the latter engages arm 22 as the car moves forward,swinging the crank shaft 19 to draw the dog 15 to the left, whichmovement will move the cam wheel 6 a quarter turn, thus moving theroller 9 and rod 8, so as to throw the switch point and enable the carto take the proper track. As the car passes along and plunger 26 ridesover arm 22, the spring 21 will throw the crank shaft to its formerposition, and .return the dog 15 to a position to engage the next tooth141, ready for operation to throw the switch to another position whendesired. In equipping a car for a railway provided with switch throwingmechanism of this kind, I would of course provide four plungers 26 atthe corners of the car, so that the switches can be thrown from eitherend of the car and from either side according to the position of theswitch points. My improved mechanism would be preferably inclosed in acasing 35 as illustrated in dotted lines, and would be below the groundlevel.

It will be observed that with my improvements the cam wheel 6 alwaysturns in the same direction, and but a quarter turn at a time, the camgroove 7 being so shaped that one quarter turn will move the switchpoint in one direction, and the next quarter turn will move it in theopposite direction, so that if the switch point does not lie as desired,the motorman will depress plunger 26 and throw the switch as aboveexplained Various slight changes might be made in the general form andarrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, andhence I do not restrict myself to precise details set forth, butconsider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations asfairly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination with a switch point,of a rotary cam wheel having a cam groove in its periphery, a slidingrod connected to said switch point, a roller on said sliding rod locatedin said cam groove, ratchet teeth on the end face of said cam wheel, aratchet dog engaging said teeth, means for throwing said ratchet dog toturn the cam wheel and throw the switchpoint, ratchet teeth around theperiphery of said cam wheel, and a ratchet dog engaging said lastmentioned teeth, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination with a switch point,of a rotary cam wheel having a cam groove in its periphery, a rod, a pinon said rod located in a recess in the switch point, a roller on saidrod located in the cam groove in the cam wheel, ratchet teeth aroundsaid cam wheel, a

ratchet dog engaging said teeth, whereby said wheel is permitted to movein one direction only, ratchet teeth on the end face of said cam wheel,a ratchet dog engaging said teeth, a crank shaft tripping mechanismadapted to be operated by means on a car, and a link connecting saidtripping mechanism with said last mentioned dog.

3. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination with a switch point,of a rotary cam wheel having a cam groove in its periphery, a rod, a pinon said rod located in a recess in the switch point, a roller on saidrod located in the cam groove in the cam wheel, ratchet teeth aroundsaid cam wheel, a ratchet dog engaging said teeth, whereby said wheel ispermitted to move in one direction only, ratchet teeth on the end faceof said cam wheel, a ratchet dog engaging said teeth, a crank shafttripping mechanism adapted to be operated by means on a car, a linkconnecting said tripping mechanism with said last mentioned dog, a fixedsupport, a spring connecting said last mentioned dog with said fixedsupport, whereby said dog and tripping mechanism after being operatedare returned to their former posit-i0 V 1. In a switch operatingmechanism, the

combination with a rail and a switch point,

of a casting secured to said rail, a cam wheel having rotary mounting onsaid casting and provided with a cam groove in its periphery, a rodmounted to move transversely in said rail, a pin on said rod located ina recess in the switch point, a roller on said rod mounted in the saidcam groove, ratchet means permitting rotary movement ofsaid cam wheel inone direction only, ratchet teeth on said cam wheel, a ratchet dogengaging said teeth, tripping mechanism operated by means on a car tomove said last mentioned dog and move the cam wheel, a fixed support,and a spring connecting said fixed support with said dog, whereby saiddog is returned to normal position after operation.

5. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination with switch throwingmeans, of a car, a truck on the car, a bracket secured to the truck, avertically movable plunger in the bracket, a spring normally elevatingsaid plunger, rollers on said bracket at opposite sides of the plunger,

flexible connecting devices secured at their In testimony whereof I havesigned my ends to the upper end of said plunger,passed name to thisspecification in the presence of 10 around said rollers and securedtogether, two subscribing witnesses.

and a flexible connecting device connected to said first mentionedflexible connecting CHARLES EDWARD FRYBURG' devices at their junctureandextending to a WVitnesses: point on the platform, substantially as andCHAs. M. Jonson,

for the purpose set forth; J A. L. MULHALL.

